Intention to Designate 1166 Garner Road West, Ancaster (Shaver Homestead)

Description of Property

The 36.45 hectare property municipally-addressed as 1166 Garner Road West, known as the Shaver Homestead, is comprised of a nineteenth-century farmstead consisting of nine historic structures built between circa 1830 and 1942. Two additional structures without heritage interest were constructed circa 1960. The property is located on the south side of Garner Road West, between Wilson Street West and McClure Road, in the community of Ancaster in the City of Hamilton.

Statement of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest

The property at 1166 Garner Road West has design and physical value as a representative and rare extant example of a nineteenth-century Ontario farmstead. It is comprised of nine distinct historic structures built over a more than one-hundred-year period between circa 1830 and 1942. These structures include the: wood-frame house built circa 1830; bank barn built in 1837; brick farmhouse built 1856; bakehouse built 1856; outhouse smokehouse and horse barn, all built in the mid-nineteenth century; icehouse built circa 1872; and milkhouse built circa 1920. The brick farmhouse also displays a high degree of craftsmanship, as demonstrated by its decorative dichromatic brickwork and elaborate scrollwork and curved roofs on the rear porches.

The property has a long-standing association with the Shavers, a prominent family in nineteenth-century Ancaster township who played a significant role in the development of the Ancaster community. John Shaver (1739-1795), a United Empire Loyalist, moved to the Ancaster area in 1789. His descendants, who purchased this property in 1811 and still own it today, are responsible for constructing a number of significant structures in the area. This property has served as the present-day gathering place for John Shaver’s descendants, who hold a yearly family reunion at the Shaver Homestead.

Contextually, this property is important in defining the former rural agricultural character of the area. It emphasizes the long-settled nature of this stretch of Garner Road and contrasts strongly with the surrounding modern development. It is linked, functionally, visually, and historically to the surrounding area, being on its original location and in proximity to several other Shaver properties. This farmstead, having been featured in several publications, is considered a local landmark.

Description of Heritage Attributes

Key attributes that embody the physical value of the property as a representative and rare extant example of a nineteenth-century Ontario farmstead, in demonstrating a high degree of craftsmanship, and its association with the Shaver family, include:

• All elevations and the roofline of the circa 1830 one-and-a-half-storey frame house, including its:
  • Side gable roof with returned eaves on north end;
  • Twelve- and six-pane wooden windows; and,
  • Eight paneled “loyalist” wooden doors.
• All elevations and the roofline of the circa 1856 two-and-a-half-storey brick farmhouse, including its:
  • Low pitch side gable roof with returned eaves and quarter-circle windows  below the gables;
  • Brick chimneys on east and west side;
  • Red brick facades with buff brick voussoirs and projecting quoining;
  • Three-bay front façade with central projecting frontispiece with a gable roof with returned eaves;
  • Segmentally-arched window openings with six-over-six hung wooden windows, dressed stone Lug sills;
  • Round-headed multi-pane hung wooden window in the second storey with three keystones, the central Keystone inscribed “1856”;
  • Central entrance with sidelights and transom, decorative wooden surround  with fluted pilasters and ornamented brackets;
  • Four-paneled wooden door;
  • Projecting dressed stone base on front elevation;
  • Projecting buff brick base on side and rear elevations; and,
  • Stone foundation
  • Rear one-and-one-half-storey, gable-roofed circa 1830 wood-frame wing, including its:
    • Porch on west side elevation with elaborate scrollwork, curved roof supports and chamfered wooden posts, and encased water well; and,
    • Porch on east side elevation with curved roof supports.
• All exterior elevations, roofline, and interior of the circa 1856 one-storey brick bakehouse, including its:
  • Front gable roof;
  • Common bond brickwork;
  • Six-over-six windows with lug sills;
  • Two-panel wooden door; and,
  • Interior brick hearth and bake oven.
• All elevations and the roofline of the circa 1875 two-storey frame icehouse, including its:
  • Front gable roof;
  • Board doors on both stories of front elevation;
  • Frame construction; and,
  • Board and batten siding.
• All elevations and the roofline of the circa 1837 three-storey frame dairy barn,including its:
  • Side gable roof;
  • Frame construction;
  • Earthen ramp on front elevation;
  • Concrete block circa 1942 milk-house addition with a gable roof; and
  • Raised stone foundation.
• All elevations and the roofline of the circa 1871 three-storey frame horse barn, including its:
  • Side gable roof;
  • Frame construction; and,
  • Raised stone foundation.
• Key attributes that embody the contextual value of the property as a defining feature of  the historical character of Garner Road West, and its visual, historical and functional  links to its surroundings, include its:
  • Siting and massing of the historic farmstead structures, including the:
    • One-and-one-half storey frame house built circa 1830;
    • Two-and-one-half storey brick farmhouse built circa 1856;
    • One-storey brick bake/wash house built circa 1856;
    • One-storey frame outhouse, built in the mid-1800s;
    • One-storey frame smokehouse built in the mid-1800s;
    • Two-storey frame icehouse built circa 1875;
    • One-storey frame milkhouse built circa 1920;
    • Dairy barn built circa 1837 with its circa 1942 milkhouse addition; and,
    • Horse barn built circa 1871.
• Location of the property fronting onto Garner Road West with a deep setback from the road.